The Image of Chinese and Japan Dragons - Term Paper Example

Visual Arts and Film Studies Chinese consider Chinese Dragons as important and powerful creatures. The image of these dragons is deeply rooted in the life of the Chinese, A tradition, which is firmly embedded in the Chinese culture, is that the people of China are descendants of the dragon. The dragon and its powers of good are held in high esteem and dignity in China. The dragon has been regarded as an auspicious creature which has the power to bless and influence the lives of the primitive people. The dragon was adopted as a national icon when the tribes fought for domination and came under a common banner. The extent of the power of this mysterious creature was such that it was considered as the god of rain, thunder, rainbow and stars. China being an agro-based society, entirely dependent upon the environment and climate for communal wellbeing, it was the dragon that was worshipped so that sufficient food would be provided. For thousands of years, this custom sustained. Dragon was worshipped and more and more deification was bestowed upon it from being the bringer of joy to bringing prophecies and miracles. The dragon was made into an exclusive symbol of imperial majesty by the emperors. They also compared themselves with the dragons. There was a robust punishment for those who used the dragon as a symbol intentionally or unintentionally. This meant that the ruler was being offended hence the punishment for the offender was death [Dra12]. A series of changes has transformed the image of a dragon and it is now more mighty and beautiful. Initially, its illustration on primitive bronze ware was portrayed as ferocious and mysterious. However, during the Han Dynasty, it became magnificent and unrestrained. Moreover, the image of dragon was personalized as gentle, tame and graceful during the reign of Tang. Nevertheless, it was after the Song Dynasty onwards that it was portrayed as more flowery and delicate. These dragons are found in various different colors. They range from yellow to black, blue, white or red. The most revered was the yellow one because of which each emperor wore a gown that was decorated with a yellow patterned dragon. The basics behind these dragons remain the same despite the differences. This is because people are familiar with the combination of the features of animals. The protruding head of a dragon signifies wisdom, however longevity is shown by the antlers. According to the imperial examination, the ox’s ears denote success. The tiger’s eyes indicate power, bravery is conveyed by the eagle’s claws, flexibility is implied by the fish’ tail and diligence is shown by the horse’s teeth. According to the Chinese culture, a dragon had nine sons. Each of them was endowed with a unique supernatural power. The eldest was a creature such that it was capable of bearing very heavy stones with a unique super power. This creature appeared as a tortoise. In the ancient temples and the courtyards, the statues of tortoise were erected. People were of the belief that good luck could be brought to them by just touching them. The second son was powerful in the courts of justice. This son appeared as a tiger. It was on the doors of jails that its likeness was engraved to add stateliness. The third son was a lizard without a tail. It had the ability to swallow fire, and it was expected to forage in dangerous places. Such dragons guarded the roofs of the palaces as protection against the dragons. The fourth son symbolized safety. It resembled a spiral shell, like a closed mouth. It was mostly painted or carved on the doors since it protected from evil. The fifth son was considered as a yellow dragon of musical instruments. It was because of its love for music. The sixth son feared cetaceous creatures such as the whales and the dolphins. It feared the cetaceous species to the extent that it would shout upon seeing them. Hence, it was a custom to carve this dragon which was similar to, but smaller than, its father, on the docks. This would help in increasing the sonority of the toll. The name of the seventh son was ‘Tap Tie’. This appeared like a wolf and was greedy. The eighth son had the propensity to sit and enjoy the aroma of joss sticks. It appeared like a lion. It would often be depicted on Buddha thrones and incense burners since this was introduced into the imagery of Chinese. There are two myths attached to the ninth son. According to one tradition it appeared like a jackal, with have the taste to kill. This is why it mostly appeared on swords and scabbards. Another tradition said that the name of the ninth son was ‘Pixiu’. It was symbolized as bringing an accumulation of wealth [Chi12]. This shows how firm the belief of Chinese on the dragons is. Hence, this shows that apart from the cultural and traditional importance, dragons are also considered sacred for the Chinese people, since this tradition is followed since thousands of years ago. Very little is said about the belief of the Japanese people on snakes. This is because the Japanese consider snakes to be improper and dangerous. According to one of the informants, the conversations related to snakes are avoided by the Japanese. This is how they think that the snake also can be avoided. They are of the belief that if one evil snake is attracted, then many other evil ones will follow. They usually use the statement “of snake, the rod is snake”. This means “a snake will gather its friends”. This statement is somewhat like the English proverb ‘birds of a feather flock together’. But the difference that exists is that the snakes are not considered as safe creatures for the Japanese [Opl]. Snakes, for the Japanese people, are one of those creatures that are considered to have a negative character. Moreover, even the biblical connotation of snakes has always been void [Cou12]. The snakes are used as expressions of fear and dislike in the cultures of Japan. A greedy person would often be labeled as a snake. Moreover, a revengeful and jealous person would also be labeled as one. Hence, this shows how much the Japanese people loathe the snakes. The zodiac signs of the Japanese people are based on various animals. These animals range from birds to rats to snake, etc. If a couple doesn’t get along well, they might just go the fortune teller, and if the person is born in the month, then this can likely be the reason for them not getting along well. Moreover, they are of the belief that women have the characteristics of a snake in them. By this, they mean that a girl is likely to change her attitude into that of a snake. Moreover, some women are said to be really strong and difficult to oppose. Women with such peculiar attributes are often expected to have been born into the month of snakes. In the Japanese culture, there is a year of snakes, a day of snakes and an hour of snakes. Women who are born at any of these times, they are expected to get what they want. According to an observation, if a woman is jealous or envious, she might just get what she wants. According to the teachings of Buddha, if a person has done evil all his life, has been deceitful, mean or has done something extremely bad, he is expected to be born as a snake after his death. This was the classification of dragons in the eastern culture of Japan. References Dra12: , (Dragon), Chi12: , (Chinese Dragon), Opl: , (Opler), Cou12: , (Country Facts), Read More